IPL 2022: Teamwise unsung hero of the tournament

3. Shahbaz Ahmed (RCB)

RCB made it to the playoffs for the 3rd successive season this IPL. There were some crucial roles played by bowlers like Harshal, Wanindu, and Hazelwood while finisher Dinesh Karthik was their key performer too. It was not the best IPL for Virat Kohli this time, and it required small yet crucial contributions from Shahbaz Ahmed throughout the tournament, to keep the winning momentum intact.

Shahbaz batted up the order this season for RCB. In their second game against KKR, chasing a modest total of 128, RCB lost Kohli and Faf early. Shahbaz chipped in with a crucial contribution of 27 from 20 balls to help them stay in the run-chase and complete a narrow victory. In the very next game against the Royals, Shahbaz was once again instrumental in a run chase, scoring 45 off just 26 balls to help RCB win back-to-back games on another night, where the big guns failed.

Shahbaz kept his good form going, scoring 41 and 32 against CSK and DC at a high strike rate. Although none of his contributions were large enough to hog the limelight, his small yet crucial performances helped RCB get wins especially early in the tournament. When the big guns didn’t find it easy, knocks like these helped RCB stay on top at the start of the tournament.